CBC Article: Cutting the heck' out of Canada's boreal forest has put caribou at risk

According to a recent study, logging practices in Ontario and Quebec have resulted in the loss of more than 14 million hectares of forest between 1976 and 2020, an area roughly twice the size of New Brunswick. The depletion of the boreal forest habitat has put 19 of the remaining 21 caribou herds in Ontario and Quebec at high risk or very high risk. Using satellite imagery and government data, the study found that only eight patches of older forest greater than 500 square kilometers are still intact in Ontario and Quebec. The patchwork of remaining older forests threatens the survival of woodland caribou, which require large areas of undisturbed habitat for their survival. The study suggests that major changes are needed in boreal forest management in Ontario and Quebec.

Jay Malcolm, a professor emeritus of forestry at the University of Toronto, was one of the researchers behind the study. He has been vocal about the need for more sustainable logging practices in Canada’s boreal forest. He states that “We have been cutting the heck out of the boreal forest” and that “It’s very frightening. It was startling to see how little is left and how badly fragmented it is.”

Read the full article HERE.